Editorial: Absence of a Defence Readiness Bill in the King’s Speech is yet another failure by Keir Starmer on UK defence

​There was telling criticism of the government yesterday on defence – from one of Labour’s own backbenchers.​

Tan Dhesi MP accused ministers of delaying taking “necessary steps” to bolster the UK’s security by failing to include a Defence Readiness Bill in the King’s Speech.

Mr Dhesi’s voice is one that deserves respect not only because he is a Labour Party politician, and thus is not criticising his own colleagues for party political advantage, but because he is chair of the Commons Defence Committee.

Last year’s Strategic Defence Review called for legislation to give the UK government more powers to mobilise reserve forces and industry in the event of crisis. But while yesterday’s address, which was essentially Keir Starmer’s blueprint for the coming parliamentary year, included the Armed Forces Bill introduced during the previous session of Parliament, there was no mention of a Defence Readiness Bill. Mr Dhesi said this was “deeply disappointing, undermining the UK’s credibility with our allies”.

He said the government was not “taking necessary steps to shore up our nation’s defence capabilities, with the missing Defence Investment Plan also leaving the UK defence industry stuck in a holding pattern”.

The long-delayed Defence Investment Plan, intended to set out government priorities for defence spending over the next decade, was meant to be published last autumn.

This is devastating criticism of, in effect, Sir Keir for his weakness on defence. The prime minister is beholden to his backbenchers, who will not trim the UK’s out-of-control welfare budget, which is helping people make a lifestyle decision not to work. And it means we do not have enough to money for defence.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir and Hilary Benn are determined to enact their legacy plan which, under a guise of concern for veterans, will betray them to placate Ireland.